The short answers
What does Ofsted look for on attendance?
Under the June 2026 toolkit, inspectors consider whether leaders make improving attendance and punctuality a high priority, for the whole school and for groups, including pupils who are occasionally, persistently and severely absent. They look at whether pupils attend well, whether leaders act promptly on absence and on declines, whether registers are accurate, and whether the school works with parents, the local authority and other services.
What is Ofsted's expected standard for attendance?
Among the expected standard's descriptors: leaders analyse attendance closely, for the whole school and for groups, to find patterns and trends, intervene early and remove barriers, and overall attendance "is broadly in line with national averages or shows an improving trend over time". Attendance should also be improving for pupils who are persistently or severely absent and for groups leaders have focused on.
Can a school below the national average meet the expected standard?
Yes, if attendance is improving. The standard is broadly in line with national averages or an improving trend over time. Inspectors also recognise that a school with many pupils who join with previously low attendance, or with SEND that affects attendance, may have lower overall figures, and look at how quickly it improves attendance for those pupils and keeps the improvement.
Which pupils do inspectors look at?
Disadvantaged pupils, pupils with SEND, pupils known now or previously to children's social care, and pupils facing other barriers such as young carers, as well as pupils who are absent because of mental or physical ill-health.
What to have ready
The evidence that answers the toolkit's questions, most of it from your own data.
Your attendance against the national average, and its trend
The whole-school figure against the DfE's national figure for your phase, and against the same point last year, so an improving trend is visible even where the figure is still below national.
Each group against the same group nationally
Disadvantaged pupils, SEND and the other groups the toolkit names, each set against the DfE's figure for the same group, with the gap and whether it is closing.
Persistent and severe absence, and who has moved
How many pupils are persistently and severely absent, who has come back up, and who is heading that way, so the work on those pupils can be shown rather than asserted.
Patterns, and what you did about them
A weekday, a session or a year group that stands out, and the dated record of the contact with home that followed.
Registers that are right
Codes used correctly, N codes resolved within five school days, and the day-to-day follow-up of absence working.
Where this comes from
- Ofsted: school inspection toolkitUpdated June 2026 (version 2.0). Attendance and behaviour is one evaluation area; its grades are on pages 40 and 41.
- Working together to improve school attendanceThe DfE's statutory guidance, 2026 edition: what schools, trusts and local authorities are expected to do.
Related guides: school attendance national averages, improving attendance in schools, persistent and severe absence, school attendance codes. Every guide is listed on the guides page.
An inspection report, already written
adsum produces an attendance report for inspection from the exports your MIS already produces: your figures against the national averages, each group against the same group nationally, persistent and severe absence, the trend over the year, and the patterns. It carries no pupil names, so it can be shared.
Or ask us for a trial on your own school's data.